Adventures in the 13th Age

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Season 1, Episode 8: Blood, Banners, and Stars

Cold Open: Ext, Forest Path

“Does anyone else think that immediately leaving town looks a bit suspicious?” Arroway says, turning her head and jogging a bit to catch up with the others.
“Our leaving town, or Etnys’ leaving town?” Törk asks, his eyes on a handaxe that he’s sharpening as he walks down the lightly forested dirt, a shambling covered wagon before the party creaking and groaning as it shudders forth.Arroway frowns. “Well, I was thinking Etnys, but now that you mention it…”Vessel comes around the cart and hooks a thumb behind him. “The driver says that Abbotsford is is just a few more hours travel, and Hawk’s Rest is just outside of town. We should be there before nightfall.”
“Hawk’s Rest. Such a fancy name for a country home.” Nameless scowls, “How rich are these Larads?”Törk pricks his finger on the axe edge and smiles at his handiwork. “How many paupers do you know with an ancestral country home at all, let alone one with a name?” He stows the axe in his belt.Arroway nods, “And of course the village will be teeming with people eager to please the local landlord, so we must keep quiet as to our intentions.”Nameless shakes her head, “And we still have no idea if she still has the Blue’s letter or if she handed it off before leaving, or if those invaders took it…”Vessel nods, “Which is why we can’t make too much of a splash in town. We must keep quiet.”
A horn sounds, and the cart stops. A squeaky little voice bellows from somewhere in front of the cart, “None shall enter the Scales without our permission!”Vessel, what do you do?

Vessel goes around the cart and is hit by an arrow in the chest. He falls, but the arrow hit his medallion of The One True God.

Ahead, the road is blocked by a dozen kobolds standing under a giant red banner that billows in the wind. It is a rouge dragon on a rouge field.

Arroway teleports into the fray, kills the kobold who holds the banner… and the banner stays; the pole is an illlusion.

The banner then flaps around and hits Arroway, while the downed Kobolds stand again, their gazes empty

Nameless yells out: “It’s a Warbanner! A sentient flag that steals troops for its own ends!” She shudders as a quick flashback shows her cowering as a warbanner with three rouge eyes on a sable field leads a bevy of demons out of a hellmouth

The kobolds fall one by one, as Nameless focuses fire on the warbanner

Vessel shakes his head, “By reputation only.” He points to the symbols on the wooden tombstones, then rolls up a sleeve and shows an identical tattoo. “They are among the Priestess’ chosen, her elite guards.”

Törk reconnoiters the area, and a shiver runs down his spine. “I sense something I have not felt for a long time.”

Arroway looks concerned, “Why weren’t they taken back to Cathedral for a proper burial?"

Vessel touches the fresh dirt, “I can only think of one reason: they are still dangerous. We should leave this place.”

Ext, Hilltop

The light is dim, now, and the sun is low on horizon. We hear screams from far off, and all turn backward.

Commercial!

Ext, Outside Abbottsford

The wagon crests a hill as the sun is setting. In the valley below is a small village, surrounding an abbey near the river that bisects the town. But on the hill opposite, a large mansion dominates the landscape. The chyron fades in: Abbottsford.

Quick cuts: Digar pulls the cart into town, heads into the pub waving behind him, Nameless and Arroway walk across the bridge and up the hill, through the gates that read “Hawk’s Rest”, and to the door.

A majordomo answers, looks perturbed at Arroway’s presence, and leads them into the sitting room.

“Help yourself to the sherry,” he says, before closing the door and locking them inside.

Nameless pours two sherries, hands one over to Arroway. Both women look at the drink, pause a beat, and then decide not the touch the stuff.

Ext, The Roadside Graves

Vessel and Törk arrive back at the grave site, but the graves look to have exploded. Dirt and blood are everywhere.

Vessel finds an imperial guard pinned to a tree, her throat slit. She has blood smeared on her body, and we smash cut quickly to the symbol of The Elf Queen: the blood makes the three stars about her face.

Törk looks around, but shakes his head. “There are no tracks to follow.”

Vessel pushes past, looking down. The camera spins and goes to a birds eye, and we see that the blood in the grass makes another three-star shape. “We must go warn the Elf Queen immediately.”

Int, The Sitting Room

Etnys Larad enters, looking young and confident. “You survived the gala. Well done!”

“Now, he told me that you would have something of his to return to me. That, too, is my duty.”

Nameless nods, “We do not have it, but one of our associates does. When he arrives he will give it to you.” That last is forceful, as if she would pry the signet ring from Vessel’s fingers to deliver it, if needed. “And you have something to give to us?”

But Etnys Larad is not happy. “I belive you are mistaken. I have something you want, but I shall not give it to you without proper payment.”

Etnys Larad smiles, “Yes, some kobolds in the area found an old camp from the last time the Gold fought the Three near here. The Warbanners inside have caused quite a stir as they continue the ages-old war with fresh troops. I need you t go to the camp and kill a few more of the abominations before they destroy my town.” She retrieves a folded map from her voluminous sleeve, and hands it over. “When you’ve done so, return and we can discuss our next steps. I trust you have a place to stay in town?”

“We do,” says Arroway, “But what is stopping us from simply taking what we need?”

Int, Cathedral Sanctuary

Arroway spies another warbanner in the apse, a verdant leaf on verdant stripes. She teleports into the basilica and surprises some sleeping kobolds.

the warbanner flutters over to Arroway, and the monk is beat down and bleeding profusely when the flag flits away a moment later.

Vessel teleports into the fray as well, and the warbanner heads to him next. Again we see the eyes glaze, and again Vessel launches a bolt at Nameless.

But Nameless is crackling with gathered energy. She lets loose a lightning bolt that tears through the warbanner and a few of its minions.

Törk and Arroway are plowing through the kobolds, besieged on all sides.

Vessel comes to his senses, and with a mighty call to his god calls forth Judgment on the warbanner. “For your sins I sentence you, and you shall be no more!” The warbanner is shredded in a burst of holy light.

“green!” yell the remaining kobolds. “Green!” yells Nameless‘s wand. “Free!” “Green!” “Free the Green!” a chorus of voices calls. Nameless’s wand echoes loudest: “You will free the Green!" And we see an extreme close up as her eyes open. She’s at the edge of a precipice, and as the camera dollies back she takes a breath and steps off.